In control systems of this genre, the thermocouple is responsive to heat of the pilot flame to generate an electromotive force which is applied to the solenoid to electromagnetically actuate the gas valve thereby allowing the fuel gas to be delivered to the main burner from a supply to automatically ignite the main flame. When the pilot flame goes out, the response of the thermocouple deactuates the electromagnetic valve to automatically shut off the fuel gas from the supply.
Such conventional gas burner control systems are inherently possessive of the disadvantage that due to an inductance of the solenoid associated with the electromagnetic valve, there is an objectionable delay after a pilot flame is ignited, and it is inconvenient to manually keep the valve knob on until the valve automatically actuates. After the extinction of the pilot flame there is also a delay in switching response until the valve automatically closes since the demagnetization of the electromagnet controlling the same is not effected promptly due to the solenoid inductance so that an objectionable leakage of the raw fuel gas may occur.